The invention relates generally to a system for redirecting cellular phone calls. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for redirecting cellular phone calls to a conventional landline handset, by emulating a conventional telephone system and communicating with the cellular telephone using short length radio waves in a personal area network.
Millions of people in the United States have a cellular phone or, as commonly referred to, a cell phone, and in many cases, they have more than one. Members of “Gen X” and “Gen Y” often opt for having only a cell phone, reflecting on their mobile life style. While a plain old telephone service (POTS) provides limited features, it also provides greater reliability than other telephone systems and its “five nines” reliability standard is an often cited benchmark for other telephone systems. However, young and old increasingly are foregoing the conventional POTS landline, and are using cellphones exclusively for communication.
While cell phone users have embraced these devices passionately, they are not without some distinct disadvantages. People tend to shout when they speak into their cell phones, mainly because the device does not provide audio feedback through the earpiece to the speaker. Most people are accustomed to hearing their own words when they are speaking on the phone in a POTS, so they overcompensate when they talk on their cell phone. As a result, everyone within shouting distance overhears cell phone conversations whether they wish to or not, and the cellphone user loses any semblance of privacy.
Cell phones have small keypads that are difficult to use for people who have poor eyesight, have crippling arthritis, or just large fingers. Many who have these difficulties prefer conventional handsets, sometimes customized with extra large keypads. Over the years, equipment manufacturers have created many types of handsets with features that enable the disabled to use telephones or have “luxury features” in conjunction with their POTS. For example, there are special speaker phones for audio conferencing. There are special handsets for the hearing impaired. Additionally, manufacturers have created telephone equipment to match any décor.
Many houses and offices are wired with multiple telephone “jacks” in the walls into which the user can plug a wide variety of telephone equipment. These jacks give the user the ability to install different types of equipment in each location, sometimes to match the decor. It also allows the user to permit someone else to pick up a separate handset and participate on a call without setting up a special conference call. When a user decides to rely exclusively on cellular phone communication, he or she cannot take advantage of the wiring or the versatility of different handset devices and extensions in a POTS.
No mobile cell phone operates everywhere. Often time there are dead spots in a building, where transmissions from the local cellular tower are blocked. The cell phone user may not be able to roam through the house, apartment, or office, but must remain in a spot where transmissions are optimal.
Many people worry about the microwave radiation from their cell phones. To avoid this radiation, users opt for a BLUETOOTH® enabled earpiece rather than holding the cell phone close to their head. (BLUETOOTH® is the registered trademark of BLUETOOTH SIG, INC., Bellevue WASHINGTON.) Unlike cell phones that use microwave radiation, BLUETOOTH® enabled devices use short length radio waves to create a wireless personal area network. This lower energy radiation allows devices to communicate in short ranges, but does not require them to be within the line of sight of each other. When the devices are out of range of each other, they automatically disengage.
Some cell phone users forward their cell phone number when they are home or in the office to their landline number. This allows them to use the conventional handset with all of its convenient features. Generally, the user must manually forward the cell phone number to the landline number and then manually deactivate the feature when he or she is ready to leave the landline location. There are various systems to automate the process. These systems require extensive programming to learn an individual's habits of travel and phone use, so as to recognize when to activate and deactivate call forwarding. Most of these systems have the disadvantage of requiring the cell phone user to have a separate landline or POTS to take advantage of these systems and cannot incorporate any of the account features of the cell phone service, such as free minutes.
Other systems provide traditional handsets that connect to the cellphone that are mere peripheral devices, similar to other wireless headsets, not taking advantage of the reliability of a POTS. The cell phone must be in close proximity to the handset, even if the handset is not optimally placed.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.